oxycodone question/update on john

google just kicked me off, so if this appears twice, forgive me.

you may remember that my sig other, john, has been having neck, arm
and hand pain for about 3 months. he kept thinking it was getting
better and was in PT, but about a week ago it became agonizing. his
doc put him on darvon, then percocet. neither touched it. he's also on
5 mg pred for his crohns, which is under control on meds.

this morning he asked me to take him to the hospital, he's in so much
pain. we called the doc, who prescribed oxycodone HCL 5 mg, up to 8 a
day in "divided doses" and she added another 5 mg to his pred. she
said if that doesn't work, then go to the hospital. he took one about
an hour ago and i think he's getting some slight relief. he's lying
flat on his back in bed and really can barely move. i'm very
concerned. he's not a wimp. (he's allergic to sulfa and penicillin, if
that matters).

he had an mri wed that showed "multilevel cervical degenerative
spondylosis with superimposed acute right foraminal C6-7 disc
herniation compromising central nerve elements as outlined above."
this is all greek to me.

if any of you have experience with this sort of condition and/or
oxycodone usage, please share with me. do you think surgery is a given
or are alternative therapies still possible? he hasn't been able to
work (he's a photographer) in a couple of months, and i'm without a
contract at the moment, so things are scary tight -- i know a lot of
you here can relate to that!

thanks for listening,

diane